The Art of Mediation
by Hitokiri-san
Summary: Ishizu couldn't imagine the Pharaoh having a row with the Chosen One; now she was finally treated to the sight. With Yami on a tantrum and Yugi thoroughly frazzled, all Ishizu could think of was that this wasn't included in a tombkeeper's job description
1. I

**The Art of Mediation**

_A Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction by Hitokiri-san_

**A/N: I'm back into the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom recently, and this has prompted me to try and finish the Yu-Gi-Oh! story - namely this one - I've put aside for quite a while now. I 've had quite some difficulty writing it: an erratic muse and a sudden writer's block have decided to strike together. For some reason, I find myself suddenly illiterate. Still, I tried; and I sort of hope the next chapter would come easier to me.**

**In the canon, Yugi and Yami's relationship is extremely close and harmonious. They _never_ argue with each other, maybe with the exception of the Orichalcos part. But even that scene isn't a true argument - Yugi pretty much owned Yami with his verbal assault (and he doesn't mean to_ truly_ blame the darker spirit, either).**

**Therefore, this fic is born out of the question: _what_ would raise an argument between Yugi and Yami, and_ how_ would they go about it? Of course, no one can escape the pharaoh's wrath: Ishizu and Kaiba get pulled (unwillingly) into the picture as well.**

**I initially intended this to be a oneshot, but the story is set on writing itself; the remaining parts will be put up shortly.**

* * *

When questioning how the argument began, "he started it" was the last thing Ishizu had expected to hear from the pharaoh.

Yami hadn't said that in actual words – Ishizu would probably be struck speechless if he did - but had instead opted to coat the childish idea in regal language.

"Aibou has just informed me that he has little need of my protection thereafter, " Yami had told her, eyes narrowing in an expression that was half irritation, half genuine anger. The former pharaoh was sprawled out on the coach, a king on his throne; one hand absently flipping TV channels with a flick of his wrist.

Yami stopped, accidentally, at the anime channel. He scowled at the garishly dubbed characters on the screen before moving on to the next channel. Switching through television channels, it seemed, only served to worsen his mood.

"I have come to the understanding that Aibou does not appreciate my interference in_ any _of his affairs. I shall refrain from doing so in the future. After all, he was my host and I do respect his views." The pharaoh glanced up at her, ruby eyes narrowed, and went back to pressing his remote with regal resolution.

_That's basically "you know what? Don't come to me when you're in trouble next time!", done pharaoh-style, _thought Ishizu sarcastically as she stood at the doorway. Closing the door behind her, she approached her lord with a sigh bordering on reproachful.

"Pharaoh. The chosen one could not possibly mean this, and you know it."

From what Ishizu knew of Yugi, the gentle teen saying that he didn't want Yami's involvement in his life would be as likely as Malik declaring that Yami was his favourite person on this world. It would probably have to take either a drastic change of character or a highly unusual turn of events to achieve that.

"I know very well what Yugi means. After all, I literally live in his mind. "

_The operative tense being "lived", _Ishizu corrected mentally. _Pharaoh, three millennia of solitude have made you forget how difficult communication can be. _

Shifting slightly to the left, she placed herself between Yami and the television, forcing the ex-pharaoh to turn his attention on her.

"I won't argue with you, pharaoh." Atem was proud, stubborn, and hated to lose – three traits that made arguing with him a daunting task. Knowing this, Ishizu promptly gave up on convincing him about Yugi's intentions. In his heart Yami probably knew that Yugi meant no harm anyway. "But please – just tell me what happened. I won't be able to help if you aren't telling me anything."

"Your help is neither desired nor needed here, tomb keeper," Yami sniped back - a little uncharacteristically - and gave Ishizu a lazy wave. "You are now dismissed."

Ishizu gave him an appraising gaze, not even bothering to tell him that he couldn't exactly "dismiss" her like he used to. This was not his kingdom, and she was not Isis. At times, too caught up in the memories of a life past, Yami tended to forget such things.

Ishizu did not begrudge him for that – for a person who'd recently regained a body along with memories of a life three millennia ago, she actually thought Yami was coping pretty well. Usually, a gentle reminder from Yugi would help the pharaoh separate the past from the present; but Yugi was currently upstairs, sulking.

"In that case, _Atem_, I will ask the chosen one instead. I think he'll be far more cooperative than you are."

Yami snorted, and didn't even bother answering.

* * *

Half a year after the ceremonial battle, Ishizu had come to check if the pharaoh and his light were doing well. It was meant to be a formality, something she owed them for all the troubles she'd caused them. She'd expected to find the two leading a picturesque life – Yugi watching TV on the couch, perhaps, while Yami rearranged his deck with an ease befitting his title as the King of Games. Both looking up and smiling as she entered their house.

She certainly hadn't expected to find the two in the biggest fight of the year. Yami hadn't even bothered to open the door for her – he was obviously in too bad a mood to do so. Instead, a dark tendril had wrapped itself around the door, yanking it open for the dumbfounded tomb guardian. Ishizu was about to chastise the ex-pharaoh for the all-too-liberal use of his shadow powers when she saw the pharaoh's expression for the first time.

It was a rather bizarre sight, Ishizu decided, to see her pharaoh arguing with the chosen one. Like everyone else, she'd always held the vague perception that Yami and Yugi lived in eternal harmony – Yugi was far too kind and forgiving to hold a grudge against anyone, much less his darker half; and Yami would never consider hurting his light in any way, even emotionally. The notion that the two could get into an argument in any shape or form was rather surreal.

Normal people, Ishizu reminded herself, do get into arguments once in a while. It was probably an essential part of human life, and it probably applied to Yami and Yugi as well.

The problem was she couldn't exactly say that Yami and Yugi were _normal _in any sense of the word.

"Yugi," she called out, gently, and the teen looked up towards her, startled. He didn't seem to be making much headway in his work; pen hanging in midair, he was staring off into space with an expression that was angry and sad in equal measures.

"Oh, Ishizu-san," he made an effort to smile at her, "you could have told me you're coming. Please come in."

Ishizu smiled back, a little indulgently. Despite the recent argument he'd had, Yugi was making an effort to be hospitable. She took a seat on his bed, noting the sheer number of duel monster plushies on his bed. Absently, she set a Kuriboh plushy on her lap.

"I was talking to the pharaoh downstairs," the tomb keeper started, and watched as Yugi's features harden slightly. It was a strange expression on the light's face, one that she wasn't accustomed to. "There seems to be an…argument?"

Yugi muttered something, suddenly very intent on the calculus problem on his desk. Ishizu thought she heard a grouchy "he started it" coming from the normally mild boy, and sighed in irritation.

"Not you too, Yugi. The pharaoh has already given me the cold shoulder downstairs. You don't have to do it again."

The teenager looked back at her, amethyst eyes apologetic. "Um…I'm sorry you have to put up with…that." He tilted his head in the direction of the living room downstairs; Yami's intense displeasure seemed to be pressing in through the open door. Even in his distress, Yugi still had the ingrained habit to apologize for every bad thing that happened, whether or not it was his fault. It made Ishizu wonder – again – how _anyone_, much less the pharaoh, could be mad at him in the first place.

"It's alright," the tomb keeper told him, smiling reassuringly. Yugi was incredibly easy to guilt-trip, and it made Ishizu felt as though she was leading a lamb astray. She was coaxing the truth out of Yugi for a good cause, but it didn't make her conscience feel any better. "Can you tell me what happened? Maybe I could help."

"Um," the boy stuttered again; the fight with Yami seemed to have left him stumbling over his words more than usual. "It was like this…"

* * *

Ishizu should have known. At the end of the day, the whole thing had to do with some punk, the pharaoh's over-protectiveness, and dark magic.

Kaiba Corporation was – yet again – going to introduce a newer and far more exciting version of the Duel Disk. Or at least that was what Kaiba told the media, armour-clad arm nearly hitting the podium as he swept his arm over it in emphasis. Watching the news on TV, Yami raised his brows in slight amusement. The CEO's exaggerated motions always had the effect of adding an extra exclamation mark or three to the end of his sentences.

"This is so cool, the other me!" Yugi exclaimed, half-flailing as he watched the demonstration video of the new Duel Disk with rapt attention. Where the monsters would, for the most part, float stoically over a player's field until command was given (or something was done to them), the new Duel Disk enabled them to respond to various dynamics in the game now.

Yugi gave an amused chuckle as the Celtic Guardian in the video leered derisively at a newly summoned Watapon in attack position. The difference in attack points had apparently triggered this particular reaction.

"I wonder if I could talk to the Dark Magician mid-duel with this Duel Disk?" Yugi wondered enthusiastically, still leaning towards the TV like an overexcited child. Yami watched him affectionately, reminded of how Yugi had always loved the Dark Magician card.

He didn't bother to remind his lighter half that he could, in fact, summon the Dark Magician anytime Yugi wanted. Instead, he turned his attention back to the TV and Kaiba's solo drama.

"…to commemorate the introduction of this new product, Kaiba Corporation is organizing a dueling event next Monday. Skilled competitors, chosen from all around the world, will duel each other with our latest piece of technology. The winner of the event…" He straightened suddenly, gravity-defying white coat flaring skywards as he paused for a dramatic effect, "…will get to duel Yugi Mutou, the King of Duelists."

There was a moment of silence as both dark and light blinked at the television in disbelief.

"I can't believe I wasn't even _informed_ about this!" Yugi wailed, glaring at the Kaiba on his TV, "Kaiba-kun _knows_ I have a test next Tuesday!"

Now that there was no desperate need to sign himself up for a bunch of Duel Monsters tournaments – because really, he'd got himself involved in competitions like Duelist Kingdom and Battle City for one important reason or another - Yugi didn't duel publicly as often. Schoolwork and daily life had caught up with him after Egypt. He had spent many hours poring over his books when it became apparent that having been locked in the Orichalcos seal, or defeated a long-dead Pharaoh in a card game, wasn't going to help his studies one bit.

His darker self, however, had built himself a new fan base under the alias of Mutou Atem in a matter of two months. Ever the supportive one, Yugi was incredibly proud of his partner's achievements and had taken to voicing out his approval every time Yami gained a new title. Maybe that wasn't the best idea; it seemed that Yami was now out to collect_ every_ gaming title that ever existed, as though he was collecting Pokémon.

However, Yugi's busyness didn't quite prevent Kaiba from calling on him from time to time. From Kaiba's perspective, he was too good of a duelist-bait to be left unused; in any given tournament, simply putting his name on the roster would attract a horde of top-notch duelists from all around the world. Tired of seeing Kaiba Corp limos appearing randomly in front of his doorstep, Yugi had finally given up and presented his timetable to Kaiba one day.

"So that Isono-san doesn't have to hunt me down all over the city every time you need me," he'd explained with a small smile. Kaiba had grunted and took the timetable, in gratitude or distaste he didn't know.

From that time on, Kaiba had taken his timetable into account and only tended to call him when he was at least available. The brunette had apparently decided that a distracted King of Duelists wasn't going to do much in terms of publicity.

"Just study earlier, aibou. Though I'm more interested in knowing why they aren't inviting me as well," Atem rested his chin on a fist, eyeing the screen with mild irritation. It was always exhilarating to duel his aibou in the public arena, and seeing them duel always sent the audience into a sort of elated hysteria for weeks.

His lighter half shot him a look. "Because, the other me, one Ceremonial Duel a day can't be good for anyone's health. It's fun, but it's practically nerve-racking! Grandpa was nearly hyperventilating on the front bench when we did the Spring Tournament duel!"

Yami chuckled at the memory. "Who said anything about going all out? We could just have a friendly duel, that's all."

"…and you're sure that you can best me in an ordinary duel," Yugi returned impishly, and Yami huffed. The truth, he acknowledged, was that he could no longer say confidently that he could win against Yugi in any kind of duel. The chances of him winning were probably 50-50.

Kaiba probably didn't include Yami in this tournament for good reasons. The public couldn't handle the stress of watching the two duel, the competitors couldn't face the despair of being up against two Game Kings in a row; in addition, the teenage CEO _knew _leaving him out would irk the ex-pharaoh.

Now that Kaiba couldn't duel with Yami as often – he was too busy planning yet another Kaiba Land in Europe, inventing new Duel Monsters products and developing electronic games in the same time that he simply couldn't find the time – Kaiba had subconsciously taken to irritating Yami with small, mundane things on a regular basis. It was, Yugi thought, Kaiba's way of coping with not being able to challenge Yami whenever he wanted.

"Aibou, are you doubting my prowess with the cards already? I should be insulted," Yami drawled, inciting an "of course not!" from an amused Yugi. "In that case, I'll simply have to prove my strength in this tournament."

He stood up, intent on giving Kaiba a piece of his mind via the phone. It didn't really surprise him when it rang before he could reach it, the teenage CEO calling to inform Yugi of the arrangement and offering a tutor to help him deal with the test.

* * *

"…and here comes the King of Duelists, Mutou Yugi!"

Despite the number of different titles he'd acquired in the dueling world, his first title – which wasn't really _his_ in reality – had stuck, and he was generally known and addressed as the King of Duelists. Amidst the deafening roar of the crowd, Isono's announcement was accompanied by a sudden burst of smoke on the dueling field. Yugi's opponent – a grown man who'd battled all the way up to championship just to duel Yugi - looked like he was on the verge of having a fit. Sitting cross-legged on the VIP bench, Yami found that he couldn't blame the guy; he himself had experienced, first hand, how utterly _terrifying _it had been to have Yugi on the other side of the arena, determined and ready.

The crowd leaned towards the stadium as one, waiting with baited breath for the legendary King of Duelists to appear. It came as a great surprise, therefore, when the smoke eventually cleared to reveal…an empty platform.

Isono looked momentarily stunned, before explaining in a stuttering (and rather unconvincing) voice that there had been some _circumstances_, and that Yugi would be appearing shortly. Watching the whole fiasco in his control room, Kaiba twitched. So much for staging a spectacular appearance for the little twit. Coattails swishing, he turned on his employees with an air of a lion about to pounce on its prey.

"I want to know where the hell Yugi is. _Now_." His command was met with the busy tapping of keyboards, his staff checking the surveillance cameras within the premises to locate the petite duelist. Fishing his mobile out of his trousers, Kaiba entered Yugi's number. Yugi wasn't one to pull a disappearing act for no reason; this, if anything, told the brunette that something was wrong.

Yugi's phone was off._ Go figure_. He paused, jaw clenching in irritation, and decided to try Atem's number instead. It didn't really surprise him when it vibrated in his hand, the former spirit calling to demand where his aibou had gone and threatening magic-related punishments if anything happened to Yugi.

"Shut _up_ for a moment, Atem," Kaiba snapped, and felt grimly triumphant when his rival abruptly cut himself off in the middle of a threat. "I have nothing to do with it and you know it. Where did you last see him?"

"At the waiting room. He was going over his deck…" Kaiba could feel the tension rolling off from the other end of the phone; it was starting to distract him as well. Damn Yami and his over-protectiveness over his little ex-host. "I'll go look for him."

"Stay put, you aren't helping," the brunette told Yami curtly, tapered fingers tapping on his screen until the image of Yugi's waiting room appeared. Seeing Yami run off in panic would probably send the spectators in the stadium into a mad frenzy, and Kaiba wasn't ready to see his tournament blow up in his face just yet.

The waiting room was empty. Kaiba frowned, about to shift the image to the corridor outside when one of the communication staff called his name breathlessly, receiver in one hand.

"Seto-sama, someone has found Yugi-sama!"

"Show me the image," he told her with a clipped voice, and she obliged, switching the screen to a corridor not far from the waiting room. Arms crossed, Kaiba gazed down at the screen.

One of his guards was bending over what seemed to be a dark lump on the side of the corridor couch. Frowning, he zoomed in on the lump, only to realize that it was in fact a mop of tri-coloured hair poking out from behind the couch.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered darkly. He was about to inform Yami of the new development when the once-pharaoh hung up on him with a sharp beep, having read his apprehension and no doubt rushing over to his aibou's aid.

When the teenage CEO arrived at the scene, it was to find a very agitated Yami attempting to shake Yugi out of unconsciousness, and the guard looking extremely helpless. Watching the whole scene from the side, Kaiba quickly decided that it was going to be one of _those days_.

_...to be continued_


	2. II

**The Art of Mediation**

_A Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction by Hitokiri-san_

**A/N: And here comes the second chapter of the fic! I wasn't expecting the delay, but the writer's block seems to have taken a turn for the worse. ****Anyway. Yugi tries his hand at evasiveness, Yami is far too protective for anyone's good, and Kaiba gets harrassed. No evil cliffhangers for the day, folks, so be at peace.**

* * *

"I've already told you, the other me, I'm fine!" Yugi protested, muffling a cough, and attempted to rise from the couch. He was forced to lay down when a sinewy arm blocked his way, his yami looking down sternly at him from his perch on the side of the couch.

"You can't even stand properly, aibou. You shouldn't move until the doctor arrives." Atem's voice was quiet, but it was the sheer _intensity_ in his ruby eyes – so unlike his soft amethyst ones, Yugi noted absently – that made his stomach twist uncomfortably. It brought up memories of days long past, when Yami had been less sane and more willing to resort to violence and darkness in solving problems.

"I'm ok…" Yugi repeated, meekly, though he made no further move to get up. "I have to go out, the whole stadium's going to freak out if I disappeared on them!" His eyes turned to Kaiba, questioning; the CEO let out a small snort, having read the question on his open face.

Now that they were separated into two entities, the difference in personality between the two Yugis was striking. Not that he ever cared much about which Yugi he was dealing with even before the ceremonial duel, but it still felt odd and foreign to Kaiba.

"No. Do you think I'm going to let my tournament go to hell like that? We're arranged some performances to amuse the spectators for the time being. It's a matter of time before they ask questions, though." He didn't sound very concerned, though. Probably because he was Kaiba Seto, and Kaiba Seto was never concerned.

Yami glared; Kaiba wasn't intending to put his aibou at peace one bit. He was about to tell Yugi to "let Kaiba handle it" when he caught the genuinely worried expression on the smaller boy's face. He halted, resisting the urge to cover his face. At the end of everything, it was always that expression that got him.

"Alright, alright. I'll go out and duel in your place; you stay put and rest. After all, the crowd is usually content with seeing either of us appear on the arena," he turned to Seto. "Does that work?"

Kaiba gave a nonchalant hum. "It'll work if I say so."

Yami raised a brow at his arrogance, but otherwise said nothing as he ruffled his aibou's hair gently and walked off in the direction of the stadium.

It occurred to him, halfway through the duel (_"Dark Magician, Magician of Black Chaos and Curse of Dragon – attack the player directly!"_) that in his preoccupation, he hadn't even asked _why_ his aibou had fainted in the first place.

When he'd finished slaughtering his opponent with the new Duel Disk – he'd been on autopilot, and could almost feel the Black Magician's questioning gaze on him as he gave out commands absently – Yami hurried back to the corridor, only to find Yugi in the care of one of Kaiba's personal doctors and two security guards. A while after Yami's own departure, the CEO had arrived at the stadium for the awards ceremony, though judging by Seto's more-irritable-than-usual expression, Yami suspected that he was not at all impressed by the champion's skills.

Yami dismissed the thought as irrelevant as he approached his aibou, who brightened considerably as he spotted him.

"Atem!" Yugi was reverting to his official name now that there were strangers around. Though Yami did his best to adjust, the word always sounded foreign on Yugi's lips. " You won."

Yami shrugged it off. It was a moot point, and Yugi didn't really frame it as a question either. "Aibou. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, although my head hurts where I've fallen over," the petite duelist smiled softly, and Yami could see that he was speaking the truth. "Can we go home now? I really want to revise for the test!"

"Not before the doctor says you can go," Yami returned, unyielding. "Aibou, you just _fainted._"

"It was just a fainting spell…too tired recently," Yugi said, dismissing the ordeal with a simple wave. But Yami could see those purple eyes blinking a little unnaturally, the smile becoming a little strained. Even the doctor was suddenly checking Yugi's head with an odd sort of concentration. He hadn't been a master gamer for nothing.

"Aibou," he rubbed his temple a little exasperatedly, "please don't lie to me. You know it never works."

Yugi averted his eyes, guilt literally exuding from him in waves. Even if Yami wasn't sure if he was lying before, he sure was now. "I'm not…"

Atem cut him off. "Did someone do this to you?" There was that steeliness in his eyes again, the sudden look of vengeful darkness, that made Yugi instantly wary.

"No," Yugi looked back at his guardian, this time looking far more determined. "I just…fainted."

And no matter how many times Yami had broached the matter afterwards, that was that.

Yugi's stubbornness – a trait that the light shared with him, if he was honest enough with himself – could be truly infuriating at times.

* * *

"Kaiba," Yami began bluntly when the other man picked up the phone, "I want to know what happened this morning."

Kaiba had stayed by his aibou's side when he'd gone off to duel in Yugi's place. The man had, for security's sake, installed numerous surveillance cameras all over the place. It made perfect sense that he would know what had been going on, whether from Yugi himself or from his near-magical contraptions.

He turned slightly towards the room that he and Yugi shared; his aibou was reciting facts about the Meiji Restoration in a decidedly monotonous voice. The coast was clear, at least for now.

"He didn't tell you?" Yami could feel the smirk even down the line, and suppressed the urge to come up with a biting comeback. There was a sound reason why he didn't want to call the CEO in the first place, but if someone was trying to harm his aibou, he _needed_ to know. Kaiba's penchant of gloating at him at every possible moment was starting to get on his nerves; he'd have to get him back on the dueling field one day or another.

"He said it was a fainting spell," his ironic tone told Kaiba what he thought of the excuse. On the other end, Kaiba gave a derisive "hmph".

"Then it is as he said. Quit bothering me with such pointless questions, Yugi," Kaiba said, momentarily forgetting to address Yami by his new name. It actually happened quite often after the Ceremonial Duel, but most people either thought he was mixing the two "brothers" up, or – for those who knew better - had already made a point of ignoring it.

Then he slammed the phone on Yami.

The ex-pharaoh twitched, and wondered why the hell he'd ever thought of choosing this man as his priest in _any_ in his incarnations. Cousin or not, surely any reasonable pharaoh would've had his head cut off for his insolence by now.

The worst part was that he understood what Kaiba was saying between the lines. _I know what happened and you don't, and I'm not going to tell you._

For some reason, this irritated him more than anything could.

* * *

Later that night, he'd returned to his – and Yugi's – room in a ruffled mood, only to find his aibou asleep on his modern history textbook. The little light had probably fallen asleep in the middle of his revision. Yami raised his brows, a tender smile tugging at his lips. Despite his darker half being an embodiment of ancient Egyptian history, Yugi had never gotten around to appreciate the more recent part of history. Unwilling to wake his aibou, he pulled the book out from under him, replacing it with a pillow. Yugi's brows drew together for a second, before his mind decided that the pillow was that much more comfortable, and he returned to a deep slumber.

Then it occurred to him.

He could…find the answers he wanted in Yugi's soul room. Not only was the soul room home to Yugi's soul; it also served as a storeroom to his memories. If he could see Yugi's memories of what had transpired in the morning, he would _know_.

Even though he'd acquired his own body, his mind was still closely linked with Yugi's. In all honesty, he was initially surprised that their soul rooms still existed. He'd thought that the soul rooms were products of the puzzle's magic; and now, with the sealing of the puzzle, they should no longer be able to access the soul rooms.

Yugi, however, had grinned when he'd voiced that issue aloud. They were initially one soul, one ankh, he said cheerfully, and it made sense that they should be able to access one another's mind even if they no longer share a body.

Yami smiled at the recollection. Yugi always had a knack for simplifying complex situations like that.

His aibou had also told him without reservations that Yami was welcome to his soul room whenever he felt like it, when it became apparent how much his darker half liked the warm, cozy atmosphere of his soul room. Yami had found himself there on many occasions, poking Yugi's toys and watching his thoughts and memories drift by like clouds in the sky.

The once-pharaoh hesitated as the immorality of the act registered with him. Yugi, however generous, would not approve of him looking into memories he'd decided to keep to himself. Besides, he would be taking advantage of Yugi's hospitality, and it would be the worst repayment he could offer for Yugi's trust.

But - he thought back to the scene of Yugi lying unconscious on the ground – Yugi had the unfortunate habit of being too forgiving of_ anyone_, even his aggressors. This had landed the boy into more dangerous situations than he could count, and he couldn't afford to let that happen again. He wasn't his light's guardian for nothing – and if he must protect Yugi from himself, then so be it.

He'd regretted the cruelty of his earlier shadow games, but had never quite regretted the _reason_ behind them. He'd pledged his loyalty and protection to Yugi the moment the boy released him from his golden prison, and he would do anything in his power to uphold that pledge. And in the end, maybe… just maybe…his faithful protection would be adequate repayment for Yugi's trust.

And besides – a hopeful part of his mind chirped - Yugi didn't _need _to know this. He could simple go in, read the memories, go educate the despicable villain on proper behaviour (not necessarily with a Shadow game, though), and life would return to normal.

That decided, he willed himself into the sleeping boy's soul room, taking care not to disrupt Yugi's sleep as he made his way across the virtual room.

* * *

Yami should have known. At the end of the day, it had been_ Yugi _alone who'd been able to beat him in any sort of games, and it made sense that the boy would be able to foil his plan, as well.

Still, he hadn't imagined that he would be caught in the act, like some petty thief who'd been caught with one hand in a handbag. Had he the presence of mind to think about it, he would realize that he was stuck in an extremely uncool and less-than-kingly situation. If his friends (or worse yet, Kaiba) ever caught wind of this one, he would never hear the end of it.

This was, however, the last thing on his mind as he stood frozen - his aibou's memory before him, his aibou standing behind him. Like a movie, the memory had skidded to a halt when Yugi had woken from his sleep, but not before Yami had a good look at a black-clad man lunging at his aibou in that Ra-forsaken corridor. It was enough to let him know what had actually happened.

"Aibou…" he started, but Yugi intercepted; his voice was not exactly cold, but it was the use of his name – outside of public scrutiny - that made Yami flinch.

"Outside, Atem."

And Yami found himself back in his body all of a sudden, Yugi's amethyst eyes fixing on him in an unreadable expression.

"…Why?" was all the light managed to say, eyes wide with disbelief.

This time around, it was Yami who had to duck from his gaze. But his tone was defensive. "You were keeping it from me."

It was a moment before Yugi could find his voice. "And that is the reason you decided to hack my memories?"

"No! I mean, I did…" he was intent on looking at anything except Yugi. "but it wasn't…what could I have done when it is so obvious you were lying? I…I have to protect you – it is my duty. You know that!"

Yugi's eyes flared up a little at the accusation. "The other me! Don't you think I have a good reason for keeping things to myself? You've never tried to break into my memories before, and I trust you enough to think you wouldn't do it!"

Yugi's words held truth, he knew. Still, it didn't quite stop Yami's voice from rising in anger.

" That is because you've never hidden _anything_ important from me before! Do you not trust me enough to tell me?" Flame-coloured eyes snapped back to Yugi now, indignant. "Even _Kaiba_ knows, Aibou."

"I don't know what you'll do! You looked so angry…and that man was…" the sight of searing red eyes, bright with simmering rage, flashed through his mind again, and Yugi closed his eyes, suddenly struck speechless.

"In other words, you trust Kaiba over me to ensure your safety. You know what Kaiba had tried doing to you in the past, yet you seem to deem him more reliable. Fine." Yami raised both hands in mock concession. "For your information, I will do what it takes to protect you, and nothing more."

"And this is why I couldn't – I can look after myself too, you know! I don't need you punishing every other person who tries something funny!"

There was a strange gleam in the smaller boy's eyes, and if Yami had been calm enough, he'd be able to identify it as hurt. But he was oblivious as he crossed his arms, regal facade surfacing on its own accord.

" Then I apologize for meddling in your affairs, Yugi. If this is what you desire, I will take care to keep out of them next time."

With that he rose from his chair and left the room, proud and uncompromising like the pharaoh he once had been.

In a small part of his mind, however, he knew that "meddling in Yugi's affairs" wasn't exactly what he should apologize for.

* * *

Kaiba's mobile vibrated, shaking his entire worktable as it tried to garner his attention. The brunette studied it with a glower, before picking it up with the air of one handling a C4 explosive.

"Kaiba!" Yami's voice had an undercurrent of rage as he addressed the CEO. "You _know _Yugi had been attacked, and you just decided to keep it silent. I thought that you'd have more honour than that."

Yami had been fuming silently in the living room – he couldn't go back up, when his light was in the bedroom – when it dawned on him that Kaiba had purposely neglected to tell him that Yugi had been in danger. He could be in danger even now, if the man from the memory was still on the loose.

Kaiba had never been truly close to them – he had always been far too standoffish to be considered a friend - but deliberately letting Yugi get hurt was too cruel, even for him.

Snatching up the phone with a growl, he'd dialed Kaiba's mobile without a second thought.

"Atem, damn it," Kaiba's fury was more pronounced this time. He was beginning to regret ever giving his direct contact to this tricolour-haired nutcase. He wouldn't have but for Mokuba's insistence that they were _friends_, and friends give their phone numbers to each other. "Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?"

Yami glanced at the wall clock. _2:31_. He ignored it, pressing on with his accusation. "You _knew_ Yugi was assaulted."

"So he did tell you something after all," the brunette answered dourly. "Say, what's your point?"

"Aibou never thinks much about his own safety. That much I know. But how could you just…stand aside and do nothing while he got himself hurt? At the very least, you could have_ told me_ when I asked."

Kaiba seemed to be making a palpable effort in controlling his breathing. "Two things, Atem: one, it was _Yugi_ who'd asked me to keep it from you. If you have an objection, take it to him. Two, I already had the scum who attacked Yugi arrested, and he won't be getting out of jail anytime soon. It seems like he is an old friend from your shadow gaming days; apparently he wanted a long-awaited revenge, but couldn't quite distinguish you from Yugi well enough."

The CEO paused, giving a dry chuckle when he read Atem's astonishment across the line. "Get your facts straight before you decide to waste my time with inane accusations next time."

And for the second time in the day, he slammed his phone on Yami.

"…_shit_," Yami declared to no one in particular, and wondered if he had truly, inexcusably wronged Seth so much in his pharaoh days that the man had developed a time-transcending grudge against him. Maybe he'd forgotten to pay the Seth's wages as a priest, that must be it.

Throwing the phone back to its cradle, Yami wondered how the whole thing had gone to hell without his knowing it.

* * *

When Sugoroku came down to breakfast next morning, he found Yami watching the morning news – since_ when_ was Yami interested in the news? - with a decidedly stormy expression, and Yugi beside the dining table, reciting his history in a tone that can only be described as murderous. He hesitated, wondering if a field magic card had been activated in his living room without his knowledge.

"…Kido Takayoshi, also known as Katsura Kogoro, was a statesman based in the Satsuma domain. He was one of the Ishin-no-Sanketsu along with Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi…" Yugi murmured darkly, sipping from his glass of juice.

"That's Choshu for you, not Satsuma," Sugoroku corrected, and Yugi looked momentarily thrown off before muttering his assent. "How's the preparation going?"

"Badly," Yugi replied, rubbing his eyes irritably. "Couldn't sleep well yesterday. I think I'm going to fail the test today, Grandpa."Sugoroku could have sworn he caught Yugi's glare lighting on the back of the couch. The news reporter's voice was cut off quite abruptly; Sugoroku realized that Yami must have switched to another channel. Maybe the news didn't interest him anymore. He blinked in the ex-pharaoh's direction, before turning back to smile at his grandson.

"You're going to do fine. Just pull yourself together," he reassured, and Yugi nodded, still looking considerably tired. Finishing his juice with a large swig, he stuffed the textbook back into his backpack and made for the door.

"I'm off, then. Bye Grandpa!"

Seeing his grandson off with a wave, Sugoroku noticed how Yugi didn't attempt to address Atem at all. Something clicked, and he turned to the figure on his couch, bushy eyebrows raised.

"Yugi's angry at you." He said in wonder.

The pharaoh didn't dignify that with an answer, but from the way his gaze drilled holes into the television, Sugoroku thought he had a pretty good idea.

"And you, Atem? Are you angry at him?"

This time, Yami did look up, perhaps jolted to attention by the sudden question.

"Yes and…no," he licked his lips, musing. "It…isn't just about Aibou- but…!" There was a silent flame behind his eyes as he trailed off, not ready to have a civil conversation with the old man yet.

Sugoroku looked a little surprised at the lack of conviction – unlike Yugi, who had a tendency to let the end of his sentences drift uncertainly, Yami usually declared his words in a way that didn't leave any room for challenge. He was born and bred as a king, and doubt over his commands were probably most unwelcome from his point of view.

Overlooking the moment of lapse, Sugoroku let out a breath. He'd seen enough arguments in his days to know that Yami still some time needed to figure things out a bit. He probably needed a little longer, considering that he was entirely unused to the concept of arguing, whether in this life or the past one.

"You're not going to leave the house anytime soon, are you?" it was said with a kind, understanding tone.

A noncommittal grunt was his only answer, but Sugoroku knew Yami too well to be affronted.

"Well, I'll bring you lunch later then."

Having said that, Sugoroku started towards his game shop, setting up the counter to begin business for the day.

* * *


	3. III

**The Art of Meditation**

_A Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction by Hitokiri-san_

**A/N: A belated happy new year, everyone! I have planned on ending the story at this chapter, but it seems that it'll be going on for at least one more installment. Kaiba finally gets a much needed break, Yami errs on the oblivious side, and Ishizu is generally manipulative. I've gotten myself stuck at the confrontation part, so inspiration will be greatly appreciated.**

* * *

That was how Ishizu found her pharaoh, eight hours later, still sprawled on the couch in a surly mood. The morning news had long since ended, moving on to various shows – a few reruns, the afternoon news, a cooking programme, a cartoon with a ridiculous plot - for the day. Yami, however, hadn't so much as shifted.

Ishizu was of the personal opinion that Yami might as well move on from his unproductive funk as well.

The corridor outside Yugi's room was a good vantage point that overlooked the whole living room. Tilting her head over the corridor's rail, Ishizu watched in resigned exasperation as her pharaoh persisted in his imitation of a stone statute. At her side, the Chosen One had given up pretending to do his schoolwork; his gaze followed Ishizu as she checked briefly on Yami.

"He's still down there, isn't he," Yugi observed gloomily, and Ishizu couldn't help raising a brow at his tone. He had apparently confined himself to his room after he'd returned from school, not wanting to confront his darker self. The small teen was immensely relieved when Yami continued his relentless channel-surfing, not acknowledging his aibou's return in the slightest. But sooner or later, Yugi would have to go down to the living room for dinner – or, if he didn't appear, Sugoroku would force him to. It was obviously not a prospect he enjoyed.

Ishizu stepped back into his room, ebony hair swaying gracefully behind her. If she was going to be the mediator by default, she'd rather start from the gentler one. If she happened to fail, at least she wouldn't be attacked by rabid shadow creatures or the like.

"Is it that hard to forgive the pharaoh?" Ishizu asked, affecting puzzlement. "Once, he had used your body to punish those he saw fit. Some he'd turned into human fireballs, some he'd sent to mental hospitals, and some he'd even _killed_."

Yugi winced at the reminder, thinking of the days when he used to wake up with blood on his hands and no recollection of what had transpired. Ishizu continued, tallying the numerous crimes Yami had managed to commit in a short span of two years. It occurred to her that it was probably enough to warrant lifelong imprisonment, had it been committed with anything other than magical means.

"He'd very nearly sent Seto plummeting to his death in Duellist Kingdom, and he lost your soul to the Orichalcos seal. Still, you forgave him each time. What makes it different this time around?"

Yugi seemed to freeze for a moment. "But this is…different! What kind of person would just _break_ into your memories when they know you don't approve? It's almost like picking the lock to someone's diary and then leafing through it! And when I caught him at it, he made it sound like it was entirely my fault! For _not trusting him enough_!"

Personally, Ishizu thought that Yami did have a point, though she wasn't about to say it at this stage. Yugi spun in his seat to face her, wide amethyst eyes narrowed to half their size. "A single 'sorry', and I would have let it pass. I didn't expect him to _counter-accuse_ me and then cut me off and walk away when I tried to explain!"

"Yugi," Ishizu was completely undaunted by his outburst. If she could face down her homicidal cult leader of a little brother without a blink, she could easily deal with an upset teenager. "What the pharaoh did was…improper. But you must understand that he did it for the sole reason of ensuring your safety. The pharaoh thinks of himself as your guardian; your safety means more to him than anything on this world. You could imagine how he felt when he saw you – all of a sudden - lying on the ground, unconscious, possibly _dead_. You remember how he'd reacted when he lost you to the Orichalcos seal?"

It was a roundabout way of guilt-tripping Yugi again, and Ishizu knew it. What she was saying was essentially "_whatever Yami did, he did it under the shock of seeing you half-dead_'. Her smile, serene and all-knowing, hid victory as the point struck home. Yugi looked hesitant as he mulled over what she'd said, and it was a very good sign.

Another five minutes, and she'd have him convinced.

"That guy…went after me because the other me forced him to stab his shin in a shadow game, two years ago. I didn't really want the other me to know – he'd either blame himself for it, or go after that guy for revenge. Maybe both, I don't know," Yugi admitted quietly, and the tomb keeper gave him an encouraging look.

"But that guy couldn't do anything more than push me to the ground, and Kaiba-kun eventually got a hold of him near the stadium, so I didn't think it was necessary to bother the other me with things like that! He…deserves release from the things he'd done in the past. He wasn't all that stable then – but he is now. It's all that matters, right?"

"I understand," Ishizu nodded – half to Yugi's words and half in veiled satisfaction– as she watched Yugi's rage dwindle down to a simmer. She only needed to let his anger burn out on its own accord, now; just like all the times she'd let Malik rant and rave to his heart's content until her brother eventually gave it up in favour of some food.

"But today, I had to explain to the press jammed in front of my school gate that _no_, foul play wasn't intended, I am neither facing a crisis in my life nor giving up duelling, and Kaiba-kun isn't in the habit of poisoning his rival on his own premises, and will you guys please let me take the test in time!

And when I was finally able to get past the crowd, I couldn't concentrate on the history test as I hadn't so much as closed my eyes last night! Of all twenty-four hours in the day, the other me had to pick a fight with me right in the middle of the night!"

A flash of dark magic, spiked by anger, was all the warning Ishizu got before she caught sight of Yami, standing just outside the door.

"So you think it appropriate to lay all the blame on my shoulders," Atem said icily, and Yugi's head snapped towards him. "You see me as the source of all your misfortunes. Why am I not surprised?"

"I didn't say that! Stop putting words into my mouth!" Yugi retorted, anger rekindled at the accusation.

"I'm merely stating a fact. If you find me a nuisance, Yugi, you could always ask me to leave this household. You know you have that right. As opposed to blaming me behind my back."

"I…!" Yugi spluttered, cheeks flushed with outrage. "The other me, you're impossible!"

With that he stormed out of the room, Yami looking slightly thrown off as his light brushed past him, footsteps thumping nosily on the stairs.

Ishizu couldn't quite conceal her annoyance as she rounded on Yami. Two more minutes, and she would have a calm Yugi on her hands again. She folded her hands on her lap, repressing a sudden urge to smack the pharaoh upside the head. Couldn't he have chosen a better time to appear?

"Pharaoh. Don't you have channel surfing to do?"

Yami blinked at her, quizzical, and gathered up his regal posture once again.

"I've come to pick up my deck. I wasn't expecting a discussion on my many failings."

Ishizu's gaze sharpened into something akin to a glare, and the word "mutiny" glided through Atem's mind before he stared back at her evenly, unwilling to back down.

"Pharaoh," she sighed in resignation at her pharaoh's lack of remorse, "you can cut the sarcasm. You owe the Chosen One an apology, and you know it. If you mean to talk to Yugi, you could at least do it in a more civil fashion."

_Collect his deck,_ indeed. From the way Yami had been seeking asylum before the television all day, Ishizu highly doubted he would be willing to brave Yugi's territories to collect a deck, when he didn't need it in the first place.

He had obviously come for_ the Talk_, and he was failing badly at it. Ishizu pushed her hair back absently, and wondered why no one had told Yami that people don't usually start a peace talk with accusations. Probably because the only enemy in Yami's past life was Zork, and making peace with evil was in and of itself unthinkable.

Yami simply made a show of retrieving his deck from his bedside, but from the tense set of his shoulders, Ishizu knew he wasn't going to do anything with them - other than shuffle them in sheer restlessness. Ishizu decided to take pity on him.

"Yugi is afraid of what you might think and do if you know of…the circumstances behind his injury. He thinks you might start beating yourself up over the incident, or try to exact revenge from the man involved - he wants neither of these to happen. Even if he lied to you, it was because he doesn't want to hurt you in any way. He wants your life to be free of regrets. If it is anything else, he would have taken it to you," the tomb guardian started, falling into the simple rhythm of recounting the incident in a clear, logical manner. With any luck, it could be an exercise of the same guilt tripping technique she'd used on Yugi.

However, Ishizu mused, with Yugi it had been easier. She didn't need the Millennium necklace to see what the teen's concerns were, what he was actually angry about, and how she could go about addressing them. With Atem it was…a little more difficult. The pharaoh's thoughts tended to go off in a hundred different tangents all at once, and gathering them into a manageable database could be quite a task.

"What I had done in my…earlier days is my own burden to bear. If he thinks I'm still going to Shadow Game the man into oblivion, then he has far too little trust in me."

"What you did to that man the first time around is not particularly confidence-inducing. Can you begrudge Yugi for feeling a little traumatized?" Ishizu retorted readily, and Yami faltered a little before his past wrongdoing. Ishizu took the opportunity to steer the topic away; they were going nowhere with this blaming game.

"Pharaoh. What do you intend to achieve by holding on to this grudge? Do you want Yugi to apologize to you? Are you still unable to forgive the fact that, as you put it, 'Aibou doesn't trust me'? Or…" she steepled her fingers in front of her, "is your pride preventing you from reconciling with him?"

Yami turned to her, looking slightly bewildered to have the whole argument put to him as a multiple choice question. "This issue is not as simple as you think it is."

_This "issue" is generally coined an argument, and the only thing that complicates it is your mind_, Ishizu thought dryly, allowing herself a little sarcasm.

"Atem, please, think carefully about this. Lashing out at Yugi mindlessly will only cause more unnecessary harm. You feel anger, but is it really directed at the Chosen One? It hurts Yugi immensely, you know," Ishizu added for good measure, "to be fighting with someone he cherishes so much."

Yami looked mildly uncomfortable at hearing "hurt" and "Yugi" put into one single sentence. The tomb keeper smiled, knowing that she had one-upped him – albeit in a not-so-honourable way. Now she understood why all the villains had the uncanny tendency to target Yugi as a way to get at his darker self.

"This situation is my fault, and his as well. I…do not know what I should say to him. I have seldom been engaged in an argument…" he said the word carefully, as though uttering it alone might jinx him,"…before."

Ishizu could sympathize, though she found the situation a little comical. Not many people in Atem's time – even the strong-willed High Priest Seth – would dare argue with the living Horus; the best they could do was phrase their grievances in form of a humble advice and hope that the Pharaoh would accept it. And in the duelling ring, Yami tended to get the upper hand of any argument automatically by winning the duel. That was probably why no one could effectively disprove his lengthy friendship speeches, despite how ludicrous they often found them.

"Maybe you should try apologizing," Ishizu suggested placidly, turning a flat look at the once-pharaoh as he tensed, hackles raised. It reminded the tomb guardian strongly of a feline on the defensive.

"And before you argue that you 'were merely trying to protect aibou from harm and therefore not in the wrong', you _did_ intrude on his privacy knowing you weren't welcome. You know it well, my pharaoh; you just aren't ready to accept it."

Yami's russet eyes shifted uncertainly, as though he didn't find Ishizu's proposal appealing.

"I do owe him an acknowledgment of my wrongdoing. I would admit that much. But this is not the only – he needs to realize that he can trust me more than this. That I won't go berserk and start sending those who threaten him to the Shadow Realm…" he grimaced at Ishizu's pointed stare. "…again."

There was an uncomfortable silence until Yami continued with a small cough. "Really, I rather think we should be over this for at least two years already. As aibou's guardian, I personally think that man deserves a lesson for daring to assault him at all. Though if Yugi had dissented – if he had expressly forbidden me to do so…" he paused, darkly contemplative. "I would have heeded him. There is no need to keep anything from me."

Ishizu studied the regal countenance, thinking of the one and only time when Yami had turned a deaf ear to Yugi's pleas – and how that had turned out in the end. The encounter with Raphael had traumatized Yami in a way no other event, however horrifying, could.

"Well said, pharaoh," the tomb keeper caressed the Kuriboh plushy as she smiled at him, like a teacher complimenting her student on a right answer. "It seems that you are clear about what you want to tell the Chosen One. Why don't you go and find him now?"

The once-pharaoh froze, momentarily looking as if Ishizu had recommended that he activate the Orichalcos field card in his next duel. He brushed at his lightning bangs in a futile show of disinterest.

"…I think it may be prudent to give Aibou some time to calm down, especially after our last…confrontation."

_Ah, stalling_. Ishizu hid a knowing smirk, recognizing the adolescent tactic for what it was. She wasn't going to put up with it, though. "Pharaoh, this isn't like you. No matter what you may think, stalling won't get Yugi talking to you again. The best thing you can do is steel yourself and get it over with quickly."

Yami's face was blank of emotions, but Ishizu saw his fingers brushing over his deck instinctively, seeking comfort in his trusty pieces of cardboard. She sighed, patience wearing thin. Enough was enough.

"Pharaoh, for your sake as well as mine, I'll be straightforward with you. Are you going, or do I have to make you?"

She had the satisfaction of seeing the regal figure look stupefied. Visibly collecting himself, Atem backed off from her, having heard the line from Yugi's mother enough to actually feel threatened.

He narrowed his eyes, incredulous, and backed off until his legs hit the bed. "You wouldn't _dare_. It would be treason against your king."

"You can try reporting my treasonous act to the Domino police, then," Ishizu was wryly amused. "Come _on_, pharaoh. You know better than anyone that time waits for no man."

"How is this maxim even applicable to our current situation?" Yami protested, and was astonished as she reached out to steer him by the shoulders. Ishizu had always been tough - manipulative if need be - but he hadn't thought it was in her to _manhandle _someone.

"I can walk by myself," he gritted out at her, gathering his dignity around himself like a cloak, and stalked off towards the door.

Ishizu folded her hands in her lap and followed him, demure and elegant once again.

* * *

It took a while to find Yugi – the living room, the kitchen and the bedrooms all turned out suspiciously empty – and Sugoroku turned an odd but otherwise apathetic gaze on them as they checked briefly on the game shop. Curious, thought Ishizu, that it would take so long for Yami to pinpoint his lighter counterpart. She knew well that the pharaoh had the ability to_ sense _the person who was essentially part of his soul. And even if he couldn't, the premise was so small it was a wonder they hadn't bumped into him already.

The only explanation was that he knew, clearly, where Yugi was, and was taking a deliberate detour to places where he _wasn't _in. It irritated her a little that she was taken for a fool, but she thought she could allow Yami a little waywardness. Her king, like all kings, did not like his intention laid out before him like cards on the table. To those in a king's immediate service, Ishizu reminded herself, tact is an essential virtue.

"Maybe he's in the storeroom?" she suggested pointedly, kohl-lined eyes blinking at her Lord in a way that was disturbingly knowing; Yami had even started checking the bathrooms, and she thought, exasperatedly, that the length he'd gone to in order to avoid Yugi was starting to get ridiculous.

"The storeroom," he repeated, oddly testy.

"The storeroom," she affirmed, and knew that she'd won the contest of will when Yami spun, closing the toilet door behind him with unnecessary violence.

Yami started towards the storeroom, with a kind of strange resolve that bordered on agitation. As she dutifully shadowed her lord, Ishizu thought – with a sudden tinge of sadness – that if Yami was so disproportionately stressed out at the thought of initiating reconciliation, there was still a long way to go before he could fully settle down in this world, this era.


	4. IV

**The Art of Meditation**

_A Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction by Hitokiri-san_

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay! You guys must have thought I'm dead, huh? To make up for it, have a longer chapter. **

**Much of this is actually written for quite a while, but since I was entertaining false hope that I could wrap up within this chapter, I haven't gotten around to posting it. It turned out, again, that I have no hopes of ending the story anytime soon, so I've decided to put this up first. **

**Haha, I think I'm going to stop predicting when this thing's gonna end anymore and just go with the flow.**

**Kaiba is a poor dear in this chapter, Atem and Yugi are dorks, and legal stuff is abound. Ishizu has little to no presence. I've taken a few liberties with the legal issues, since I'm more familiar with the common law system than Japan's civil law counterpart. Also, excuse the cross-referencing to various games and shows. I can't resist it.**

**FF net has been being difficult these days and keep denying me my upload, though. So forgive this for being late.**

* * *

Perhaps no one was really surprised to find Yugi seeking sanctuary in the storeroom; Ishizu certainly wasn't. The boy was perched, cross-legged, on the window sill; an unfinished Boeing 747 model on his lap. He looked up at the creak of the door, expression turning immediate hostile as he spotted his lookalike at the door.

Yami noted the awkward way the Boeing plane was put together, and resisted the destructive urge to comment that, were the plane a genuine one, it would never have been able to fly.

"What do you want, the other me?" It was Yugi who broke the silence. Ishizu had to marvel at the young boy's boldness – shy to the point of being antisocial, Yugi usually didn't have the courage to stand up to anyone or anything at all. Having the epitome of ego living inside his head for a few years, however, might have helped balance out his character a bit. That, or he was exceptionally furious this time.

Yami visibly swallowed a retort, and held out his hands out in an irritable peace offering. "I am, aibou, here to _talk_."

The emphasis on the word "talk", thought Ishizu, could entirely be left out if Yami didn't want to start this _talk_ on the wrong foot.

"Pharaoh," she hissed lowly, a feline warning, "_your tone_."

A vague look of realization flashed across Atem's countenance, but the damage was done.

Yugi scowled, turning to align his plane model with lethal purpose.

"I'm obliged, my pharaoh, but you don't need to do that. You obviously don't want to _talk_ to me, so why bother?"

"Please, Aibou," Yami tried to sound placating, but ended up with a patronizing tone even to his own ears. Maybe coming to Yugi with some remnant of resentment in his heart hadn't been the best idea after all. "Can you just listen to me for a while? You're making this difficult."

"I'm _not _trying make anything difficult! First you come over to tell me off for laying all the blame on you, now you're accusing me of being difficult? _What's wrong with you!_"

Atem, Ishizu thought with growing dismay, would not have made a remotely passable diplomat in his regime. It took a certain talent to get the tone and words all wrong in just a few sentences.

Despite himself, Yami's expression hardened. "Perhaps you would know what is wrong if you would just listen, instead of picking on every damn sentence I've ever said," he gritted out before Ishizu could interject.

"I apologize for interrupting you then, pharaoh. Do continue with your speech, I have other stuff to do," Yugi rebutted, in what was a distinct imitation of his dark's formal sarcasm. Atem growled, affronted by the persistent mockery.

Sensing the danger, Ishizu laid a restraining hand on Yami's elbow, only to have him throw it off irritably. She may be the mediator, but he was not her puppet; if she thought he was going to do whatever she told him to, she was sorely mistaken.

"Do what, have tea with Kaiba?"

It was juvenile, grossly irrelevant, and completely unbecoming of him; but at that moment, Yami found that he couldn't care less. Yugi huffed, and stood as though to take up the suggestion.

"You know what? Kaiba-kun would at least be more agreeable than you are!" the shorter boy declared, rising to the bait, and started for the door.

Unwilling to let the meeting end with juvenile jibes, Ishizu moved to block him. She needn't have bothered; the phone in the storeroom rang before Yugi could take a step, its shrill interruption a timely salvation to the long-suffering tomb keeper.

Yugi froze, gauged the distance between the storeroom and the living room, and decided he couldn't make it to the phone in the living room before the ringing cut off. Grudgingly, he turned back, and snatched the phone from its cradle.

* * *

"What?" he demanded of the person on the other end; Yami had the audacity to cross his arms in a decidedly unrepentant fashion. Glaring at his darker half out of the corner of his eyes, Yugi found that he couldn't be bothered with phone etiquette.

There was a pregnant pause; the boy could literally feel silent bemusement radiating off the other end. Yugi started, catching himself, and attempted to redo his greeting in a flustered tone.

"Er, sorry, Mutou residence - "

"Well, that's more like it," if anything, the voice on the other end sounded amused, "I wasn't aware that you _do_ have a temper, Yugi."

"Kaiba-kun!" he exclaimed, wondering if their inane argument about the charitableness of Kaiba Seto had somehow garnered the man's attention through some telepathic means. Yami's expression grew even darker, but he refused to leave, apparently ready to resume the argument the moment Yugi put down the phone. Ishizu nudged him, sharply, for attention.

"Pharaoh, would it kill you to just utter a single '_sorry_', and be brief about it?" she told him lowly, "please stop provoking Yugi further!"

Her lord, predictably, ignored her.

Yugi's expression was contemplative as he twirled the phone cord around his finger. Whatever Kaiba was telling him, it didn't seem to require much contribution on his part.

"Uh, yeah…" Yugi paused, heaving an exasperated sigh, "What, right now? I'd prefer…oh."

There was another long pause, and Ishizu could already imagine Kaiba ruthlessly cutting Yugi off impatiently. Kaiba Seto was not a man tolerant of meaningless expressions such as "uh" or "oh".

"Then I'll see you in…" Yugi glanced down at his wrist watch, "thirty minutes?" With that he put down the phone, Kaiba apparently having hung up on him halfway through his response.

Pushing off from the crate he'd been using as support, Yugi started off towards the storeroom door, bobbing his head towards Ishizu in passing. Yami didn't move to stop him, russet eyes following him as he made his way across the room.

"Aibou. Where are you going?"

Yugi tilted his head at him, expressionless. "I'm going to '_have tea with Kaiba_', as you said."

If they'd been on better terms at that moment, Yami would have chuckled at this.

* * *

The moment Yugi, Yami and Ishizu walked into his office together, Kaiba already knew that this day could not end well.

"You do realize," the CEO stated slowly, blue eyes sharp and searing behind steepled fingers, "that _this is not a tea party_."

Two identical faces looked back at him, one slightly apologetic, one decidedly unimpressed. He'd expected no less from his arch rival. Yami was lounging on his office couch like the teenage monarch he once had been, and Kaiba couldn't help but notice that the ex-pharaoh was rather prone to couch-hogging everywhere he went. Maybe couches subconsciously reminded him of the throne he'd once presided on in his last life, or something.

Still, this was _his_ couch, on _his _turf, and the Kaiba Corporation Headquarters was his palace, not Yami's. Slightly irritated, he rounded on his rival with a lazy sneer.

"Mutou Atem," he drew out the words deliberately. After this meeting, he would cut Isono's salary for dropping off unwanted nuisances into his office. "I don't remember ever requesting you to come here."

"I do not come and go by your orders, Kaiba," Yami tilted his head at him and sank further into his makeshift throne, "I don't work for you."

That much was true. While Yami was prone to appear in virtually every important tournament held by Kaiba Corporation, he wasn't really _contracted_ to the gaming firm – he hadn't even considered the idea that he could actually work for Kaiba. Isono had advised, once, that Kaiba ought to stake his claim on the two Game Kings before other competitors did. The Mutous were friends – no, _contacts_, Isono had amended quickly at Kaiba's look – of Kaiba's. They still owed Kaiba for helping with Atem's legal papers, and they would surely agree without much fuss.

God knew how much profit the Mutou twins had reeled in for Kaiba Corporation in the last two years; to have them working for other gaming companies would be such a waste.

This, Kaiba acquiesced, was a valid point. Siegfried, the sly bastard, had made a point of getting on Yami and Yugi's good side after they came back from Egypt (_"I haven't known that you have such a charming brother, Monsieur Yugi…__and such a great due__l__list, too! And speaking of duelling, __we will be holding a Christmas tournament in Los Angelas, you see, and I would be so glad if you could both come__ and join us__!"_).

Kaiba had, out of a streak of vindictiveness, made sure that neither Yami nor Yugi would be free that Christmas. He considered it lenient punishment for the grief Siegfried had caused him.

However, he couldn't quite stop Pegasus from mailing Yugi fancy Monster cards from time to time – as Christmas presents, Pegasus claimed, or for the Mutou twins' birthday. Once, at a press conference, Pegasus had handed Yugi yet another Kuriboh card – this time it was a Winged Kuriboh, with fairy wings for added cuteness – and the boy had swooned over it so much he ignored the press' questions thereafter.

It didn't help that the prospect of the Mutous considering a career in rival companies was very real. Yugi, trusting and naïve as ever, wouldn't recognize the power struggle among the gaming companies as what it was. Yami on the other hand was struggling to grapple a sufficient understanding of how the modern world worked, and didn't much care for battles outside the duelling arena.

Still, it felt…off, somehow, to treat Yami and Yugi the way he treated the rest of his staff. He had battled Yami with every fibre of his being for the glorious title of the King of Duellists and lost. Making them part of his faceless employees seemed a vile sacrilege to the title he had honoured so.

"You entered my premises without permission," Kaiba countered evenly, "I could always have the security throw you out."

"I hope Kaiba Corp's employee insurance covers magic-induced injuries, then," Yami informed him.

Kaiba idly wondered where in hell Yami could have came across the term _employee insurance _in his six months of separate existence, before he decided that he didn't really care. With the psychotic magic-wielding madmen he came across in his everyday dealings, he really ought to take Yami up on his advice and include magic-induced injuries in his employee insurance anyway.

He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the building irritation he was feeling towards the ex-pharaoh since the end of that goddamn tournament. Kaiba knew he wasn't going to resort to shadow powers for this kind of petty banter, and his rival had long grown out of shadow-gaming people; but to be threatened with it was _annoying_. The man could be such a pain when he put his mind to it.

"My business is with Yugi. You are not Yugi…" he paused briefly, suddenly recalling the state of affairs before Egypt, "…anymore. Get out of my office."

Yami crossed his legs and didn't budge from his spot. Off the duelling field, and they were still very much rivals; he wasn't quite willing to give Kaiba the satisfaction of telling him off out of sheer principle.

"I am Aibou's guardian. Any business you have with him is my business as well," he said pointedly, the phone calls between them unmentioned but very much in mind. There was a short huff in Yugi's direction, and Kaiba blinked slowly.

"I am of the impression that Yugi's _parents_ are his guardians," he commented dryly, "and in any case, Atem, you are not in any position to be anyone's guardian. The ID I made you pegged your age at seventeen – which means you are every bit as underage as your 'charge' is."

The ex-pharaoh looked vaguely confused at this. Yugi thought, idly, that it was rather unfair of Kaiba to hit his other half with modern legalities. He was pretty sure that the two of them meant entirely different things by the word "guardian".

Yami pushed his lightning bangs back in irritation, turning sideways so he faced the CEO directly. He had dealt with the man enough times to know how to get through to him. "Kaiba. I will say this only once: I am not leaving until I get to the bottom of this matter. I will not risk you going about things behind my back again."

Kaiba's brows rose, and there was that appreciative, anticipatory undertone to his expression, like all the other times he'd stood before Yami in a duel. "Hmph," he mused, almost amused now, and turned to Yugi.

"Yugi. I didn't summon you here to waste my time. Either you make him leave, or I'll do the honours and kick all of you out," his eyes raised to Ishizu, who was sharing the couch with Yugi, and added as an afterthought, "including the woman."

* * *

In the post-Ceremonial Duel hassle, most people hadn't been quite sure how to deal with the newly resurrected Atem. They'd been used to dealing with Yugi on a daily basis, and hadn't had much of a chance to interact with Atem outside the duelling field.

Kaiba, on the other hand, found himself more unsettled by _Yugi_ than he was by Atem's existence. Before Egypt, he had merely assumed that Yugi was schizophrenic; and if his other personality happened to excel at duelling, then that was all fine. He was aware that there was another version to the story (_pharaohs and priests and duels that transcended time_), but he conveniently chose to ignore it like he did everything else. It simply wasn't relevant.

But then one day they'd appeared before him as two different people altogether (_Um…Kaiba-kun, do you think you can something about the other - Atem's legal papers_?_ I don't think he can just walk into Japan like that…_ ), and Kaiba had outright _refused_ to consider the logic of how that could be possible. He'd left it at "ancient magical mumbo-jumbo", and that was that.

But even so, he had been forced to acknowledge one single thing: while Atem had been the one to take the title of Duel King off his hands, _Yugi_ had in turn managed, against all odds, to lay down the ancient Pharaoh's sword. Strange really, considering that the boy was usually a withdrawn, blubbering mess most of the time, but he'd done it.

Kaiba had briefly considered who he should be challenging for the title now – technically it should be Yugi, since he'd taken the title from Atem. No one could deny, however, that Atem was still every bit as competent as Yugi at duelling; another Ceremonial Duel, and Atem might very well emerge the victor.

The CEO had taken this in stride, though, and ended up regarding both as his rivals. Yugi, though, always had that deer-in-the-headlights look when Kaiba stormed whatever establishment he happened to be in and announced his intention to challenge him for the title of the King of Duellists, as if he was one step short of bolting from the premises. It was a reaction Kaiba hadn't been able to get used to in the beginning. Yami would then glare at him for intimidating his aibou, at which point Kaiba would ignore the once-pharaoh and issue him his share of the challenge as well.

Since then, Kaiba had settled into a different way of dealing with Yugi. He didn't think much of the way Yami coddled the teenager – in his opinion, Yugi had absolutely no backbone for someone who was crowned King of Duellists, something he needed to remedy lest his company's marketing suffered – and tended to confront the boy personally in matters that concerned him.

Yugi gave him a wild look – why was this boy his rival again? – and visibly stuttered. "Kaiba-kun! I didn't bring them along, they just followed me here!"

"I can see that," Kaiba intoned dryly, "and that is my business how? He is your brother. You're supposed to be the one dealing with him."

He said the word "brother" so naturally, as though Atem and Yugi had always been siblings in his knowledge. Kaiba obviously knew better – it was, after all, him who had helped Yami fake his documents. This was, Yugi thought exasperatedly, Kaiba's standard way of coping with the supernatural. He made up his own truth and shut the rest of the world out.

Yugi pursed his lips, and couldn't think of a reply to that.

"It's not like he listens to me," he said sullenly, and Kaiba had the distinct feeling that he was not being talked to. Yami's expression notably darkened.

"I am always ready to listen. It is unfortunate that I am not deemed worthy enough to be trusted with certain matters," the former spirit sniped, and Kaiba suddenly felt like the referee in a verbal spar. He thought back to how irritable Yami and Yugi had both been across the phone, and quickly put two and two together.

They were arguing over his head. They were arguing over _Kaiba Seto's_ head. It was so unbelievable the CEO glowered.

"That's it. You are all getting out."

They had the nerve to turn identically startled looks at him, as though they didn't realize they had it coming. Damn Mutou twins.

"Please wait, Seto," Ishizu interjected calmly. Kaiba would have forgotten her existence if she hadn't chosen the moment to speak up. She smoothed her skirt, unflappable, and continued. "We could have this discussion together. The pharaoh already knows too much to be left out. And it wouldn't do to waste even more of your time, would it?" Her smile seemed honest. Kaiba, though, hadn't forgotten how she had tricked him into hosting Battle City - she had invited him to the museum with the same smile.

"Why are you even in Japan?" he asked, slightly wary; he trusted Ishizu about as far as he could throw her.

"Rest assured, it's nothing that you would need to deny later," she said, amusement lacing her tone, "I have some…ah… minor housekeeping matters to take care of."

Now she was talking over his head as well. He quirked a brow sharply at Yugi – because the whole matter was his fault to begin with - and the boy cringed.

"Uh…" he started, both cowed and petulant, and Ishizu laid a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Chosen One," her voice was gently admonishing, and he caught the unspoken words behind it. _Come on now, don't be childish._

"…do I have to decide this?" Yugi muttered hesitantly, and wilted at Kaiba's scowl. He had failed the King of Duellists personality test again. "Okay, sorry Kaiba-kun. I have to. Let's discuss this together, then."

Kaiba expression clearly stated that he couldn't bring himself to care either way. His other self, though, looked grimly triumphant. The once-pharaoh was practically adamant to be present in this meeting, Yugi recalled, his will so immovable the boy only had half a heart to stop him from tagging along. Trying to slam doors on Yami might have, in hindsight, been extraordinarily ineffective. Doors simply _froze_ themselves before the ex-pharaoh, and he wasn't even sure whether it was dark magic or overwhelming charisma or steely willpower.

* * *

"Fine. I assume you haven't received any court summons yet, Yugi. There is a probability you will get it before long," Kaiba started, casually, and folded his arms across his chest. Yugi choked and nearly fell off the couch in mortification.

"C-Court Summons? _What did I ever do_?"

Kaiba gave him a distinctly patronizing look. "It has nothing to do with whether you did anything criminal or not. In that case they will simply arrest you."

Yugi looked even more stricken at that, while his counterpart was surveying the CEO with wide eyes, possibly wondering whether he was bluffing. It was heartening to know that Yugi was as familiar with the law as his ancient, three-thousand-year-old counterpart. Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose and decided to save himself the grief.

"They will just be summoning you as a _witness_, Yugi, nothing more – if they even choose to summon you. For the prosecution case against that madman who messed up my tournament."

He said it as though messing up his tournament was a crime in and of itself. To Kaiba it probably was. Yugi laced his fingers, suddenly at a loss.

"They're prosecuting him," he said quietly, and Yami caught a slight tremor in his counterpart's voice. His eyes narrowed, struck by a different concern.

"Kaiba, you told me the man 'won't be getting out of jail anytime soon'. I am under the impression that he's in jail already."

"If I were the king or ah…_pharaoh_…" here he aimed a condescending smirk at Yami "…of this city, then yes, he should be in jail already. Unfortunately, the judiciary is not a branch of Kaiba Corporation. It is such a shame."

Atem frowned, justifiably befuddled. Yugi was suddenly glad that Kaiba had no sway over the courts – he'd probably have them rule it mandatory to have a Blue Eyes White Dragon effigy in one's home. Or something.

"However, the surveillance camera did catch him at the act. Yugi's testimony will be the final nail on his coffin." He looked vindictively pleased at this. Hell hath no fury like a Kaiba foiled. Yugi's lips turned down in an unhappy frown.

"Kaiba-kun, can you help…"

"No," one look at those wide amethyst eyes, and Kaiba had a pretty good idea what he wanted to say.

"I have better things to do than meddle in the city's prosecutions. It is no fault of mine that he considers assault a good idea," he decided, as though he hadn't gotten away with kidnapping people for a card game and pulling down towers around their ears himself. He paused, looking momentarily contemplative, and added, "although he could always choose to plead guilty. Or plead insanity and head to a mental facility instead. He definitely needs its services, after all."

"Kaiba-kun!" Yugi sounded decidedly upset this time. "…we wronged him first. It is natural he'd hate us for it. I…."

"The responsibility is mine. It was I who had injured him, after all," Yami cut in quietly, and Yugi noted the way he kept clear of the word "wronged".

"But _Aibou_," he continued, addressing Yugi for the first time since they stepped into this office, "he was mugging an old woman with a flick knife. He hurt you. It is natural that he would be held responsible for his actions."

_Ah._ That would explain the stabbing. Yami had probably initiated a shadow game that involved the flick knife in some way. Yugi felt sick at the thought, and tried his best not to think about it.

In some way, Yami's words reminded him of the boy in that detective manga, who killed criminals because they'd killed others. They deserved judgment, the boy had declared, gleeful, and signed the criminals' death sentences with a flourish. It hadn't occurred to him that he was just as guilty as they were.

"You've injured him and driven him mad enough to come back for revenge. And you are not sorry about him," Yugi's voice was plaintive, more heartbroken than angered. Yami seemed to freeze up at the tone, but finally gathered his resolve and turned around to face his light fully.

"…that is not it, Aibou. The Shadow Games I initiated were cruel and unneeded – and this man is the direct result of my actions. I know this," Yami said, voice soft at the edges. This was something he would have to admit if he didn't want this to evolve to yet another shouting match, "but what he did – attacking you - could not be right. If the law calls him on it, he will have to answer."

Yugi looked away, not acknowledging his words, and wondered what law his other self was referring to. The courts, karma – Yami himself? Surely driving people, no matter how evil they were, over the brink of insanity couldn't be right either.

He imagined the law calling on_ Yami _for his crimes. Multiple murders, grievous bodily harm, the charges piling high enough to get him life imprisonment – and felt his heart flutter in trepidation. No, he wouldn't have allowed it – he would have tried to send Yami somewhere else, tried to cover up his trail, did anything he could to avoid it. Yami had just been released from his dark prison, then. He was confused, angry, and felt threatened; he probably didn't even truly appreciate the extent of the damage he'd dealt those people.

_He'd only wanted to protect Yugi._

"This is such a mess," he sighed, leaning into the couch in defeat, "I've only wanted to live a normal life... and play card games…" he added when Kaiba raised his brows at him.

"Then you should think twice before solving suspicious Egyptian artefacts next time," Kaiba commented wryly, and this was as close as he'd admit that Yami wasn't actually born as Yugi's twin brother. Yami glared, sullen.

"Anyway," the brunette continued unfazed, "The trial will be pretty smooth if he pleads guilty, but if he doesn't – well, the court may compel your presence, Yugi. The press will want a piece of this juicy gossip, but they're not going to get it. PR and Legal will take care of it for me or they'll all be fired. The problem lies elsewhere."

"What is the problem, then?" It was Yami who prompted him, and Kaiba felt like a class teacher talking to a parent about his kid's grades. He twitched.

"The issue of _why_ exactly the man would want to attack Yugi will certainly come up. I expect…ah…all sorts of fairytale nonsense coming from the man's mouth."

Yugi's gaze was shaky and afraid. Yami looked like he wanted to comfort him, before remembering that this situation was entirely his fault to begin with.

"Yugi, I trust that you will act _suitably confused_ at any nonsense the man might happen to spout. He doesn't have any proof – or he doesn't have any that will be remotely believable. No one will be inclined to believe him," the CEO said, voice soft and deadly.

Yugi shivered. "But…the other me -"

"Do you truly think they can really trace it back to him? No, judges do not have that kind of vivid imagination. Or have you been playing_ Ace Attorney _one time too much?" he snorted.

Mokuba had forced the game on him in the name of _learning about our rivals' key products_. He'd played through it reluctantly, and the culprit of the game was revealed – after a series of lame murders and illogical plot twists - to be the defense counsel. So the court had convicted the suspect's _lawyer_ instead of the suspect in the end. Kaiba had wondered, irritably, what kind of drugs the scriptwriter of the game had been on when he'd written this game. At least he now knew why his company was still leading the market.

"I…this is _wrong_, Kaiba-kun! We've hurt him, and we're trying to deny we did it. I…!"

Kaiba hadn't seen Yugi so upset since perhaps the Ceremonial Duel. Had the mutt and the rest of the annoying entourage been here, they'd have fussed all over the small duellist, offering pretty words. He was not them.

"If you have a better idea, Yugi, I'm all ears."

He'd managed to shock the boy into miserable silence. Really, Yugi needed to learn that there were times when he couldn't afford to be indecisive. If it were Mokuba who'd been threatened he'd have absolutely no qualms with feeding people any kind of crackpot story.

"Aibou…" Yami said weakly, looking guilty. He stood, finally, and peered sideways at his rival. "Kaiba, give us a moment."

The brunette shrugged to indicate that he didn't care, and furrowed his brows when Yami didn't move immediately. Then it hit him.

"You don't expect me to move from my own office," he sniped, already pulling paperwork in front of him, "there are conference rooms all around. Have my people show you one."

Yami's expression was a cross between gratitude and fond acquiescence. He moved over to Yugi's side with unsure steps and extended his hand.

"Aibou…" his smile was small and tentative, as though it was ready to dissolve at any moment, "…come…?"

To his own surprise, Yugi – head hanging desolately - did.

* * *

When Yami had closed the office door behind them, Kaiba considered the woman who was still occupying his office couch.

"So you're playing mediator this time," he mused, and signed his approval on one of the papers.

"You are as sharp as ever, Seto," there was a smile in her voice as she blinked kohl-lined eyes at him.

"You are surprisingly quiet for a mediator. I distinctly remember you rambling non-stop when you were trying to trick me into your plans." He couldn't help the sourness in his voice.

"It seems that there is no need for my interference at the moment," she said placidly, "I thank you for inviting the pharaoh and the Chosen one over. This meeting has come at a good time."

"Hmph," he huffed, and ignored her cryptic words in favour of his work. Studying him silently, Ishizu spoke up again.

"You are trying to press a guilty plea so Yugi doesn't have to appear in court."

She looked as omniscient as she'd been when she was in possession of the Necklace, and it struck Kaiba once again that, Millennium Item or not, future-seeing power or not, Ishizu Ishtar was a woman far more dangerous than her lunatic little brother.

"I can't risk Yugi stuttering lamely in court and looking guiltier than even the suspect himself, can I? That would ruin my firm's reputation."

Their gazes locked, and she saw – for a moment – not the CEO of Kaiba Corporations, but the soul of the man who had once been the pharaoh's cousin: the man who'd tried to best the pharaoh in everything from Senet to combat (but failed mostly), but would never hesitate to protect him when danger loomed over the kingdom.

He held her gaze for a moment before looking back to his documents. And then Kaiba was Kaiba again, gruff and uncaring and very much _not Seth_, and Ishizu knew that even if the brunette wasn't willing to admit it, the force of fate was at play even after three thousand years.

"Thank you," she said. Kaiba, predictably, didn't grace her with a response.

…_to be continued_


	5. V

**The Art of Mediation**

_A Yu-Gi-Oh! fan fiction by Hitokiri-san_

**A/N: Ishizu should be glad. The petty argument, finally, is going somewhere; with any luck she might even be able to go back to Egypt in peace soon. While the story does not end with this chapter – I have encountered the familiar problem of "Crap, since when did the chapter get this long?", but I am confident that I can…probably…possibly…wrap it up in the next.**

**Er. This sounds familiar for some reason, but you should probably believe me.**

**The chapter in a nutshell: Atem is curiously naïve, Yugi stands his ground, and Yugi's mother is traumatized. Jounouchi and Honda prove to be honourable friends. Meanwhile, Ishizu sits around in Kaiba's office and presumably drinks tea – I cannot be too sure.**

**That said, on with the story!**

* * *

Yugi was hardly able to believe it at first, but Atem had made a niche for himself in Japan with a sort of eerie ease. They had Kaiba's papers to prove it, after all; some vague explanation about how he'd grown up outside of Japan, and people had simply _accepted_ him without much fuss.

It had, Yugi thought dourly, something to do with the aura his other half gave off. He inspired faith in most people, even when he_ wasn't_ telling the truth. Something Yugi couldn't quite manage even if his life depended on it.

Yugi's classmates and other acquaintances were easy enough to fool as well. While they were all amazed that Yugi actually _had_ a twin brother – they had never heard anything of the sort from the short boy before – the sad fact was that none of them were close enough to know it wasn't the truth.

It made Atem angry that no one, other than their usual friends, had taken the effort to understand Yugi better, but Yugi himself was ecstatic at this development.

"It's actually _working_!" the boy proclaimed when they got home, hands thrown jubilantly into the air, and Yami found it difficult not to contract his excitement. "The other me, we've done it! Now you're officially 'Mutou Atem'! I can't believe it, Kaiba-kun is just _so_ cool!"

Kaiba, when one had earned his respect (which was improbable if not impossible, seeing that he'd only ever held respect for two people on this planet: Yami and Yugi), proved to be an extremely resourceful man. Yugi would be forever awed by how easily the CEO had managed to forge documents and admit Yami (illegally) into Japanese borders.

Despite his aibou's explanation, Yami had a hard time fathoming why he would need pieces of _paper_ to prove his identity. He supposed it was one of those modern world intrigues he would have to learn over time.

"I'm glad," he'd replied with a heartfelt smile anyway, and watched curiously as Yugi busied himself with plugging up the Playstation in the living room.

* * *

Two hours later, he was considerably less glad.

While Yugi and Sugoroku flew off to Egypt "for a short sightseeing trip", Yugi's mother had taken the chance to visit her parents in Kansai (_'Please leave other people's graves alone this time, Grandpa,' she'd warned, eyes narrowed knowingly_). Since she spent the majority of her time raising her son and looking after her father-in-law in Domino, it had been a while since she'd seen her own parents.

When she finally returned from her trip, it was to see_ two _Yugis seated in front of the television, engrossed in a fighting game against each other.

Eyes bulging in sheer shock, she'd dropped her luggage with a very audible thud. The two teenagers turned around at the noise, and promptly mirrored her expression. On the TV screen, Armour King and Law abruptly ceased their heated scuffle.

The resulting upset threw the household into instant chaos.

The twins story was enough to fool almost anyone, Yami thought darkly, except you couldn't exactly tell your mother she was supposed to have another son.

The fault was, Yami conceded, entirely theirs. They really should have remembered to break the news to her instead of springing it on her like this, but they had been too overwhelmed by everything that had happened to take this into account.

* * *

"Please don't be so upset, Aibou," he'd sighed when Yugi threw himself onto his bed after another session of heated argument, face scrunched up miserably. Yami had learnt to stay out of these clashes when he realized that his presence was only making things worse. "Mother is only trying to protect you and Grandpa. She doesn't know who I am or how much I should be trusted, after all."

Yami even sounded mildly approving of her decision. Apparently, it took one guardian to know another. Yugi glared half-heartedly at him over the Marshmallon plushy he'd gathered onto his lap.

"She _should_ understand! She can't tell you to get out of the house like this, it is not _fair_ –"

His other half cut him off gently. "What do you expect her to understand? You've only told her something along the line of 'this doppelganger of mine is staying permanently' and 'I refuse to tell you how or why'. You have to know that it is not fair on her, either. "

Yugi considered this, large purple eyes dim, and ventured, "…maybe if we think up a good enough story…"

"Aibou," he shook his head, smiling, but his tone was firm, "I refuse to lie to our mother on this. If we are to tell her anything at all, then it must be the truth."

Yugi tightened his hold on the plushy, distraught.

"You're right, the other me," the shorter boy acquiesced, lips thinning into a line, "but I don't think she has ears for the truth right now. She's positively_ livid_ out there." He glanced out of the room with the apprehension of a child who knew he'd incurred his mother's wrath.

"Please leave this to me, Aibou. I will find a time to smooth things over with Mother," the ex-pharaoh brushed a hand absently over his hair, "in the meantime, if it will appease her, I'll try to get an apartment nearby."

"The other me!" his aibou grabbed his arm, looking instantly alarmed, "when Grandpa and I said you can come back to Japan with us, we _didn't_ mean we'll dump you out there to fend for your own!"

Yami frowned, and tried to look as consoling as he could. "This is only a temporary arrangement. I'll be right back when I've managed to straighten out this situation…"

"_No_," Yugi looked up, and there was that determined set to his eyes, the kind of look he got when he announced that _he_, and not Kaiba-kun, would be duelling Yami in the Ceremonial Duel, "your home is right here. No one can tell you to leave – not even Mom."

Atem was so thrown off he couldn't come up with an immediate reply.

The domestic war waged on.

* * *

"He said that?" Jounouchi's voice was wrought with surprise over the phone. The blond fell silent, probably stunned, and Yami sighed.

"Yes, he did," he rubbed his temple lightly, trying to ward off an oncoming headache, "thus the current predicament."

"Wow, that's _manly_!" if anything, their best friend sounded immensely proud, "that's my little guy!"

"Jounouchi-kun," Yami admonished, his tone weary from days of watching Yugi argue with his mother, "you're not helping. Aibou is just being plain stubborn – things would have been much simpler if he would just step back and let things cool down for a while."

"Uhm…" he could feel Jounouchi scratching his head uncertainly, "if you want me to talk to Yugi, I'll do that, but I can't promise I'll talk him out of what he's doing."

"…Jounouchi-kun. You know how upsetting it is for Aibou to argue with his mother. I wish he could allow me to handle this. This is why I'm asking for your help."

"Yeah, I know I know," Jounouchi said quickly, hearing the displeasure in his friend's voice, "but man, you have to understand. This is something like… something he thinks he has to do, you know what I mean? Like….taking over the duel when I was being brainwashed by Malik. Or heck, insisting on taking you on at the Ceremonial Duel. It might not be in his best interests to do that under the circumstances, but hell if he'd let people talk him out of it."

Jounouchi sounded fond. It was one of the most endearing traits Yugi possessed, and they all knew it too well.

"Do you think he would have left the Puzzle at the warehouse and ran because it was burning down?"

"…no."

"Then how probable do you think he'll let anyone chase you out of the Game Shop?"

"…point taken, Jounouchi-kun," Yami sighed, recognizing the truth in Jounouchi's words. "It's just that the status quo worries me."

"You know, dude, these days you're sounding more and more like an overprotective motherh… _ouch! _What the hell, Honda? Gimme back the phone! I'm _trying _to talk to…"

There was a series of dull noise, as though something was getting hit, and Yami blinked at the contraption, curious. While he'd gotten used to the phone very quickly after his return, there were moments when the thing still managed to befuddle him. He could hear a faint "_do you want to die a shadowy death?" _coming from the phone, and decided to try again.

"Jounouchi-kun?" he ventured blankly, and Honda's voice cut in.

"…Insensitive idiot," his other friend muttered, and raised his voice. "Hey, Atem. What this guy is trying to say is that you'll probably have to lay low and let Yugi do his thing this time."

"Honda-kun, are you telling me to wait and do nothing while the situation deteriorates?" Yami inquired, more intrigued than offended. It was not often that Yugi's loyal friends would ignore Yugi's plight.

"I'm not saying that. I know you want to shield him from this mess and all that…but I reckon that sometimes, you should let Yugi have his own say. This isn't something you can solve by just moving out or duelling his mom into submission. You know he can do it, right?"

"Of course he can," he replied, instinctively, and continued rubbing his temple, "but I wish he could have let me handle it. There are times when I wish Aibou isn't so stubborn."

There was an amused snort at the other end of the phone. "You know, Atem, he learns from the best."

* * *

"Please don't be so upset, Aibou," watching Yugi plop onto one of the leather chairs around the conference table with a kind of gloomy abandon, Atem couldn't help but feel a strange kind of déjà vu.

Yugi looked back at him, pensive, and sighed.

"The other me, we're putting someone in jail," his light told him slowly, "someone we've already hurt before."

Atem met his eyes steadily, having gathered his resolve on the way here.

"I know," he admitted, taking a seat alongside his aibou. He took a deep breath, as though he was considering what he was going to say next.

"Aibou, you have to know," he started softly, "…the Shadow Games …I've never meant to endanger or scare you."

The Shadow Games were something they both knew about, but had studiously avoided mentioning. To Yugi, it was simply easier to live without the gruesome details. Yami, likewise, was content with pretending that the Games never happened. They had both been in denial, and for the most part that had worked. What was important was that Yami had _stopped_ doing it – or so they thought.

But now they were coming back to find them. Karma, it seemed, would not be denied.

"I know."

"I would be lying if I say that I fully regret my actions. It is my duty to protect you, and I am willing to go to any length to fulfil this duty," Yugi looked like he wanted to protest, but Atem put up a hand, signalling that he wasn't finished. The ex-pharaoh continued, his voice echoing in the empty room.

"But I was too cruel, too unforgiving…I have hurt those people more than it was necessary, and now I have burdened you with my retribution. For this I am sorry."

The apology was sudden and unexpected, and Yugi felt suddenly perturbed, as though something in this was not quite right. He looked back at Yami, brows creasing into a frown. He couldn't shake off the feeling that they were somehow talking past each other in this conversation.

"As for this man…Aibou, you are gentle and forgiving, and you see the best in everybody. However, I…" he visibly steeled himself for his next words, "am not as merciful. I realize I should not have initiated the Shadow Game with him, and I regret damaging his mind, but…I…cannot feel any remorse for his current demise. He is only reaping what he has sown…"

His voice wavered uncertainly as he watched the way Yugi's lips trembled in distress, and wished he didn't mean what he had just said.

"We've already done enough!" Yugi looked at him desolately, hands clenching, an earnest plea for him to understand, "the other me, we hurt him because he posed a danger to us, and he came back for revenge because we've hurt him! The cycle has to stop somewhere…"

He trailed off when it became apparent Atem did not share his sentiments. The darker spirit simply lowered his gaze, one hand laid comfortingly against Yugi's arm.

"I'm sorry, Aibou," he murmured, troubled, "if this makes you sad. I cannot deny what I am. I am not a kind person by nature."

Two years of living with Yugi and his friends, and Yami had learnt compassion and forgiveness. He was no longer cruel and vicious, and – somewhere along the way – he had given up on using Shadow Games to punish those who he deemed evil. And while he still disliked losing with a passion, he had learnt not to resort to brutal, selfish means to ensure his victory. It was no longer apparent, to his friends or to others, why he had once been closely associated with darkness and revenge.

But he was not Yugi.

There were still things he could not bring himself to forgive, and harming those he cherished was on top of that list. If left to his own choosing, he would not hesitate to execute his own brand of justice.

He was sorry for his earlier cruelty and madness. He was sorry that his violent deeds had found their way back to Yugi. He was sorry that his callousness had upset him.

He was not sorry to see ill fate befall the man who had harmed his aibou; for the most part, he was content to sit aside and see justice run its course.

He was apologetic for all the wrong reasons; and it suddenly struck Yugi, as he considered his other half, that while they were nearly indistinguishable in appearance, perhaps in some instances they still saw the world in a very different light.

"You are! You are a good person, the other me, you've always tried your best to protect everyone…" even in his distress, Yugi sprung immediately to his other half's defence, "you were confused at that time. You didn't mean to harm them so much."

Yami was mute for a moment, unable to bring himself to disillusion his partner on this point. Instead, he patted Yugi on the head, and watched with absent amusement as the boy's hair immediately sprung back up, like a giant stalk of grass.

"Aibou, if you truly believe that I meant no harm, that I only wanted to help…then I will ask you this. This incident…I ask that you trust me to handle it. I'll talk to Kaiba about the possible actions. I promise that I will try to find the best solution to it," he paused, tone heavy. "I did not mean to pull you into this."

Yugi studied him, hesitant. "…I can help, the other me. We can get through this together."

His darker half smiled; but when he spoke up, his voice did not brook any argument. "No, Aibou. My past deeds are my own to bear – I have already troubled you so. I will take care of it - you need not worry."

Yugi would not relent. "There must be something I can do! You call me 'Aibou' for a reason – we solve problems together!"

Yami looked a little puzzled at his insistence, brows drawing slowly together. Then realization struck, and when his gaze settled on Yugi, it was slightly sharper.

"You do not trust me to deal with that man," he began, as though he was stating a fact, but Yugi could already feel the rising tension in his tone, "you think I might do something that would jeopardize his position further."

"Aibou…"he sighed, "you should be able to trust me more than this."

"I wish you would forgive him…" Yugi said, wistfully. He knew full well, however, that he couldn't force someone into forgiving another. Shaking his head slightly, he drew a heavy breath and continued.

"But that is beside the point. There is no reason you should leave me out of this, the other me - I am not a child. For all that matters, it is _Mutou Yugi _who injured that man, and _Mutou Yugi_ whom he has been seeking revenge against. Your name - according to Kaiba-kun's papers, anyway - is Mutou Atem. Am I right, the other me?"

Yami raised his brows. "Of course, but –"

"You can't pass for me, no matter how alike we look," his aibou cut in, with an expression that would have meant, on the duelling field, _I know your next move_. "We act too differently."

"Please, the other me," there was quiet steel on the normally soft countenance, "this is something I must do."

And for the second time, faced with his partner's determination, Yami found himself at a loss.

* * *

It wasn't that he believed Yugi was helpless without his protection - far from it. He was probably the only one who wasn't surprised when Yugi managed to beat him in the Ceremonial Duel.

He was, however, adamant that he shielded the boy from harm. Yugi may be strong, but he was not a fighter in the physical sense; this world was practically _infested_ with psychos, and most of them hadn't even been his doing.

And even if it wasn't something that could physically hurt his aibou – Yami knew better than anyone that words and actions and unfortunate circumstances could cut deeper than any sword - it was better that he took care of it for his aibou. Yugi was a gentle soul, and should probably be kept from such things, anyway.

It was natural, therefore, that the matter of their wellbeing became part of Yami's jurisdiction. Yugi, for the most part, was content with this arrangement. He had always trusted his other half's decision.

Which was why, when Yugi insisted on a course of action that deviated from his own judgment, Yami never quite knew what to do.

_I know you want to shield him from this mess and all that…but I reckon that sometimes, you should let Yugi have his own say._

Honda's words came to him, unbidden, and Yami wondered if, all along, his friends had been trying to tell him something deeper, a mistake he had been making all along.

He rubbed his temple, trying to get over his momentary lapse. "What do you intend to do then, Aibou? It may not be my place to say this…but the man is already beyond help."

Yugi pondered this and shook his head, golden bangs brushing softly against his face as he expressed his dissent. "I may not be too sure of what to do now, but there must be a way I can help him."

At Yami's sceptical look, he added, "I'll start with um, writing a letter to the judge? Asking him not to be too harsh with the judgment?"

He sounded unsure, and looked to Yami for confirmation. It was one of those rare times when it didn't work; Yami blinked back at him, the usually regal features looking clueless.

If Kaiba were here, he would have gritted out, venomously, _that would be an appeal letter for leniency of judgment, Yugi, how ignorant can you get?_

"I'll confirm with Kaiba-kun afterwards. I think he'll be able to help me with this…" the boy pondered, sounding more and more sure of this course of action as he went on, "I'll convince him. The other me, this is going to work. Please."

Kaiba-kun was obviously not going to be happy with this. Anyone who messed with Kaiba had to go down, and it would take much for the CEO to change his mind. Yugi probably knew this as well. And here he was, trying to push a plan of action not only through Yami, but through Kaiba as well.

It occurred to Yami, at the moment, how much Yugi had grown in soul and spirit within a short span of two years. Despite the circumstances, he felt immensely proud.

"This whole thing is my doing, Aibou, it isn't fair that you should have to be the one to deal with it," he reiterated, only to have Yugi smile at him reassuringly.

"But you've always protected me, haven't you? From bullies and dangerous people. It's only fair that I help out once in a while – there usually isn't much I can do."

"You underestimate yourself," Yami said, shoulders dropping in acceptance. If there was something he'd learned after his release from the puzzle, however, it was how to accept defeat with regal grace.

"…we'll do it your way, Aibou. I can only hope this turns out alright for all that is concerned," he said eventually, not without a faint trace of reluctance.

"Thank you, the other me!" Yugi turned around to hug him, looking considerably brighter than he had been since the start of this affair, and Yami couldn't find it in himself to be overly surly with him.

He patted his partner's back, trying to stifle a sigh. There were times, he acquiesced, when even he had to learn to compromise. This was something he would have to learn to accept over time.

"That aside, there are other things I need to talk to you about. Or," he added dryly, recalling the tomb keeper and her manipulative ways, "Ishizu insists that I need to talk to you about.

His aibou pulled back, looking mildly amused as he recalled how Ishizu had been bent on becoming Yami's shadow throughout the whole day. "Um?"

"Let's put it like this…" ruby eyes were resolute as they gazed upon Yugi, "I should have been clearer from the beginning, but I want you to know this.

"It has been a long time since I have initiated a Shadow Game with anyone. I will not do so, instead in the direst of circumstances, and even so I will ask for your opinion - you have but to tell me your will. I ask that you trust me on this."

"You know I trust you with my life, the other me," Yugi studied him with tentative, thoughtful eyes.

"But then you have always been too generous with your life," the darker half returned, slightly indulgent. If left unchecked, Yugi would sacrifice his life for friends and enemies and total strangers; and this was exactly why the boy needed a guardian like him. He softened his tone, and insisted gently, "I am asking that you trust me with the lives of our enemies."

"...you can't sic the Dark Magician – or any other monster, for that matter! – on those people either," his light bargained, having suddenly realized the loophole in Yami's words.

"Mahaado will not be amused if I tried to break a promise with his young master," he smirked – _clever child _- and quickly sobered. "I promise there will be no dark magic. For any action I take, I will talk it over with you first.

"…And in return, Aibou, you will need to promise not to keep things like this from me. I cannot protect you if you are not honest with me…and believe me, I _will _find out sooner or later in any case."

He could see that Yugi was thinking this over, blinking slowly as he digested what he was saying. Yami waited him out, going on only after a moment's pause.

"If this sounds fair enough, do we have a deal?"

He held out a palm in front of Yugi, offering a smile. Soft violet eyes – still tired and miserable from the ordeal - considered him for a moment, and Yugi slapped a palm lightly against his.

"Deal."

Then there was a timid hopefulness in his voice. "The other me…the horrible things I said earlier…I didn't really mean them. I'm…I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

The ex-pharaoh momentarily looked as though he might be embarrassed. It was a rare expression, one he had once given Jounouchi when the blonde called him out on the "Heart of the Underdog" card.

"…neither did I. As for the actions I have taken…"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking torn, as though he was trying to summon the appropriate words without success. It was an expression that Jounouchi or Honda would have given money to see.

Unsurprisingly, it was Yugi who finally came to his rescue.

"It's okay," he tilted his head, large eyes twinkling with silent amusement, "I understand."

There was obvious relief on Yami's features, and if Ishizu were here, this would have been her cue to turn around and roll her eyes discreetly.

* * *

It occurred to them, after a while of companionable silence, that perhaps it was a good idea to get back to Kaiba. It was, after all, a bad idea to keep the busy CEO waiting, and they weren't exactly looking forward to Kaiba's icy declaration about how they were wasting his precious time with their antics. It got tiring after the first few times.

Feeling his phone vibrate, Atem fished it out of his pocket. Curiously, he didn't even have time to say hello.

"Where_ are_ the two of you?" Yugi's mom demanded over the phone immediately, and from how she sounded, the ex-pharaoh was confident to say that she was pissed. "Atem, do you know what time it is?"

It seemed that Kaiba wasn't the only person they had kept waiting. Yami grimaced, checking the time on his phone. _8:24_pm. They were in for a whole lot of trouble.

"Mother, we are at Kaiba Corp Headquarters – the meeting with Kaiba has run on for quite some time. We should have called you about this beforehand," he conceded, voice level. He noticed that, at his side, Yugi had gone still at the word 'Mother'.

"When are you two coming back?" she asked, sounding a little less agitated, and Yami fell silent for a moment, considering. It was perhaps best that they leave the meeting with Kaiba for another time, unless they wanted to face Mom's wrath.

A week after what Yami had grudgingly termed "The Family War", Yugi's mom had searched him out in his room when Yugi had gone to school. They needed a talk, she'd said, not unkindly, and Yami had followed her out with a kind of vague dread.

"You are Yugi's friend," she started by saying, and Yami couldn't see any trace of the fury she had exhibited throughout this whole week. If anything, she sounded calm.

He didn't know if Yugi had told her anything yet. Hopefully he had, but Yami had reservations. It wasn't exactly an easy story to accept, after all.

"Yes, I am," he said solemnly, red eyes unflinching at her scrutiny, "Mother."

"Mother?" she sounded puzzled, lips thinning into a tight line, "you call me 'Mother'. Why is that?"

"I have never known what else to call you."

He sounded a little wistful. Back when he and Yugi still shared a body, the woman had been mother to them both. On the days when Yugi had been too tired to take charge of the body, it had been _Atem_ whom she had welcomed into her home; _Atem_ whom she had served dinner to. Yugi's mother might never know, but he would never forget.

The woman across him ran a hand down her face, frowning.

"Atem-kun," she said, gently now, "where is your family?"

"They haven't been in this world for a long while," he said, smiling reassuringly when she looked faintly apologetic, "but there will come a time when I shall see them again."

Yugi's mom considered him deeply. "You have to understand, Atem-kun, that I hold nothing against you. But if Yugi wants you to stay, he will have to give me a good enough reason."

"I can explain in his stead, if you will accept it."

"…If only Yugi is half as mature," she groused absently, but shook her head. "He eventually came around to explaining some of it, with Grandpa's help. Or he tried to. I…cannot make sense of what he has said, still."

She sighed, exasperated, and suddenly went off on a rather different tangent, finger tapping against her face in an absent gesture.

"My father-in-law used to be a rather…legendary man. He excavated tombs, collected ancient artefacts, and played cursed games with adventurers all around the world. I was told he encountered quite a number of life-or-death situations during his adventures," she rolled her eyes, disapproving, and Yami couldn't help but chuckle. "There are still a number of those artefacts down in the basement. I figure that it would be best not to touch them."

"Indeed," he replied, sounding interested. Some of the artefacts might be infused with spells or protected by magic, and it was probably best that Yugi's mom left them be. But he – a magician in his own right - could have a look at them if he ever had the chance.

"And then, a decade ago, he gave Yugi a puzzle made of pure gold. The boy was utterly _fascinated_ with it. It turned out to be a pyramid, you know, an inverted one. A pharaoh's possession, Grandpa says."

She was watching him closely, Yami found, as though she was looking for a reaction of some sort. He returned the gaze levelly, unmoved.

"Yugi used to wear it around so much – he doesn't now," she continued, pondering, "I wonder what happened to it."

Yami considered the hidden question, lips quirking into a small smile. It seemed that Yugi had told her enough for her to grasp a rough understanding of what had transpired.

"…It has fulfilled its purpose. Now it is sealed of its magic, and will sleep in its resting place for eternity."

"You really _are _–" he saw her eyes widen, but she caught herself and shook her head slowly, as if dismissing it.

"It doesn't matter anymore, does it? I am far too old for this kind of thing." she exhaled, and raised her brows at him.

"I_ have _met you before, I know it." She told him grudgingly, and Yami understood what she meant – she _had_ come face to face with him before, even if he had been trying his best to parade as his aibou at the time. When she thought back now, it must have been apparent how different he was from her own son.

He hoped she wasn't too bitter at his deception.

"You have," he replied with a small laugh, "your miso soup with clams is the best, Mother."

She looked flustered for a moment; obviously Yugi was not in the habit of complimenting her cooking. Finally she huffed, and got up from her seat.

"Curfew is at eight, Atem-kun. I trust you to drag Yugi back from whatever entertainment centre he's stuck at – or we will start dinner without you both. And you, young man, will also find yourself in great trouble."

"Does that –" Atem started, surprised, but then his expression eased into one of warm acceptance. "Duly noted, Mother."

* * *

It had been a long enough day, Yami thought with a sigh; they didn't need even _more _trouble.

"I promise I'll bring Aibou back at about nine. Please don't worry," he said smoothly, and Yugi's mother gave a small snort, as though she couldn't quite manage to be angry with him.

"I'll save dinner for you two."

"Oh, and Mother, do you think you have food for one more person? We have a friend with us," Yami continued, already grabbing Yugi by the wrist and heading out of the door. They didn't have long until nine.

"Jounouchi-kun or Anzu-chan?"

"Someone you haven't seen before," he replied, a tad mysteriously, and Yugi's mom chuckled in amusement. Yami snapped his phone shut after a short 'goodbye' and continued his way along the corridor, Yugi in tow.

"How do you always do that? Charm Mom into letting you off the hook," Yugi pouted behind him, complaining, "she would have _floored_ me verbally if I were on that phone!"

"It is simply a matter of tact, Aibou. Be sincere, and she will respond to your sentiments," he told him, deadpan. His aibou did not look convinced.

"I think it's the _charisma_, the other me," he objected, squinting in mock suspicion. "I bet you must have been very…_tactful_…with the girls in your pharaoh days too."

He doubted it, though. It was fascinating, how Yami was simultaneously the epitome of male sexiness, but was curiously oblivious to any interest or advances from the opposite sex. It had taken Jounouchi and a massive slip of tongue for Yami to realize that, actually, Anzu had been – and still was - in love with him for a very long time. He was shell-shocked and stopped teasing Yugi about her right after.

"The guytotally _squanders _his looks," Honda had lamented with the profound sadness of a dedicated friend. When Yami came back to inform him – with palpable pride - how the city's young women were all engrossed with duelling and had actively sought his instructions, Yugi couldn't help but agree.

Yami cocked his head, looking thoughtful. "I do not remember having to be…particularly tactful with the ladies. I did have a harem, afterall -"

"_What?_" Yugi's face was slack in astonishment, before he started shaking his head vigorously. "_Ahhhhhhh_!_ The other me, I don't want to know!_"

His darker half merely looked inquisitive. "What is the matter? It was an arrangement befitting of my position."

It was a while before his aibou could get over his spluttering. He glared at Yami, baleful.

"Would _you_," Yugi gritted out, his face a heavy shade of crimson, "want to imagine the _details_ of how you came to be born?"

"Of course I would want to know the details of my birth – especially since I had lost my memory before," Yami was looking more and more perplexed, "Aibou, won't you want to know?"

"You…you are _impossible_, the other me! I'm so _not_ talking about this with you!" Yugi cried, utterly mortified, and stalked off towards the general direction of Kaiba's office.

In the remainder of the short trip, Yugi resolved to cleanse himself of all thoughts about Atem, harems, his parents and all questionable activities altogether.

…_to be continued _


End file.
